N-Class destroyer ordered from Fairfield at Govan on
15th April 1939 with another of the same Class and laid down on 26th July that year. The ship
was launched on 22nd May 1940 as the 2nd RN ship to carry the name, that of Admiral Sir Charles
Napier who commanded the British Fleet at the capture of the island of Bomarsund in the
Baltic during the Crimean War. This name had been introduced in 1915 for a destroyer sold in 1921. She
was commissioned for service in the Royal Australian Navy on 28th November 1940 and build was
completed on 11th December 1940. In May 1942 the ship was adopted by the civil community of
Dumbartonshire, Scotland after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign.

15th - Embarked
Prime Minister, US Diplomat Harry Hopkins, Lord and Lady Halifaxat Thurso for passage to join HM Battleship KING
GEORGE V at Scapa Flow.(Note: Lord Halifax, British
Ambassador designate to USA was being takento
Indianapolis by HMS KING GEORGE V to take up his appointment.Winston Churchill and Harry Hopkins were accompanying
him but werenot taking passage.)

February

Deployed at
Scapa Flow with 7th Destroyer Flotilla on completion of work-upat Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet.

2nd - Deployed
as escort for HMS KING GEORGE V during return passage in NWApproaches.

6th - Arrived
at Scapa Flow with HMS KING GEORGE V.

20th - Deployed
as part of escort for HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMCruiser DIDO during passage from Rosyth to Scapa Flow.

March

Nominated for
service in Mediterranean.

4th - Taken in
hand by builder at Govan for repair of defects arising since shipcommissioned.

20th - On
completion took passage to join military convoy at Greenock.

21st - Sailed
from Greenock as part of escort for convoy during passage to Gibraltar.

6th - Took part
in Mediterranean Fleet operations in Eastern Mediterranean includingdefence of military convoy during passage from Malta
(Operation TIGER)(Note: This ship was not part of
screen for major warships providing cover forconvoy
MW7 from Alexandria to Malta and the passage of the TIGERconvoy and it is assumed that she was part of TIGER
convoy escort

from 9th May

.)

10th - Under
air attacks but unscathed.

12th - Arrived
at Alexandria with TIGER convoy.

20th - Part of
screen for HM Battleships BARHAM and QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM AircraftCarrier FORMIDABLE for bombardment of Scarpanto and
air attacks on airfield atPogadia Bay with HM Destroyers
JERVIS, NIZAM, JERVIS and other Fleetdestroyers.

25th - Deployed
for transport of stores and ammunition to Crete garrison.

28th - Sailed
from Alexandria as part of Force C for evacuation of allied troops atSphakia with HMAS NIZAM, HM Destroyers KELVIN and
KANDAHAR.

29th - Returned
to Alexandria with 244 troops from Sphakia.

30th - Took
passage from Alexandria to resume evacuation duties at Sphakia with shipsof Force C(Note:
During passage HMS KANDAHAR returned to Alexandria with machinerydefects and HMS KELVIN was damaged during air attack
and also had toreturn to harbour.

Under repair at
Port Said.On completion transferred to support
of Tobruk garrison

18th - Deployed
with HM Australian Cruiser HOBART and HMAS NIZAM for Tobruk support.(Note: Troops were embarked in warships for passage.)

26th - Deployed
for support of garrison at Tobruk. Embarked troops and stores for Tobrukgarrison

September

11th - Deployed
for support of Tobruk garrison

15th - Deployed
for further Tobruk trip.

18th - Deployed
for further Tobruk trip.

24th - Deployed
for further Tobruk trip,(Note: HM Cruisers LATONA and ABDIEL
as well as HM Australian Cruiser HOBARTand
HMAS NIZAM carried 6,500 ANZAC troops which were replaced by Britishand Polish units.)

25th - Part of
screen for Fleet units during diversionary cruise in eastern Mediterranean.(Operation MD6).

27th - Returned
to Alexandria with Fleet units.(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett, Naval Staff History andTHE
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY IN WW2.)

Ship was fitted with 20mm
Oerlikon weapons to improve close range AA defence.

October

19th - Final
Tobruk support trip.

On release from Tobruk garrison
support deployed for transport of British 50thDivision
troops from Cyprus.

November

Transport
duties in continuation.

2nd - Deployed
for transport of 5th Indian Division troops from Haifa to reinforce garrison in
Cyprus.

8th - On
release from transport of troops deployed at Alexandria for Fleet screening andinterception of enemy supply convoys.

24th - Part of
screen for HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH, BARHAM and VALIANT withHM Destroyers NIZAM (RAN), JACKAL, KIPLING, JERVIS and
HOTSPUR to providecover for cruisers carrying out
search for enemy supply convoys.Took part in rescue of crew of ss
GLENROY torpedoed near Alexandria.(Note:
This ship was being used as a store carrier and was later converted foruse as a Landing Ship.)

25th - Took
part in rescue of survivors from HMS BARHAM after she had been sunk byU331 off Sollum. (See Naval Staff History.)

December

Under repair at
Alexandria.(Note: Did not take part in
Operation MF1 to escort HM Supply Ship BRECONSHIREduring
passage to Malta.)

Nominated for transfer to the
Eastern Fleet for service in the Indian Ocean.(Note:
This followed the request of the Australian Government that their armedforces be made available for the defence of Australia
following the fall ofMalaya and Singapore.)

31st - Carried
out bombardment of Bardia with HMAS NIZAM.(Note:
7th Destroyer Flotilla then also included HM Destroyers JACKAL, KIPLING,NESTOR and NIZAM.)

1 9 4 2

January

3rd - Took passage from Alexandria with HMAS NESTOR
and HMAS NIZAM to join Eastern Fleet.
Deployed in Red Sea.

5th - Arrived
at Colombo and deployed for Fleet duties based at Colombo.

28th - Sailed
as part of screen for Force A from Colombo Force A to intercept Japanese force reported on passage in Indian Ocean to carry out
air attacks on Ceylon. Force A also included HM
Battleship WARSPITE, HM Aircraft INDOMITABLE and
FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers ENTERPRISE, EMERALD, DORSETSHIRE and CORNWALL screened by HM Destroyers FOXHOUND,
NESTOR (RAN), PALADIN and HOTSPUR.

4th - Search unsuccessful and took passage with Force
A to refuel at Add Atoll. At Addu Atoll with Force A (Port T).
(See WAR WITH JAPAN Volume II) (Note: HMS CORNWALL and HMS
DORSETSHIRE were sunk in air attacks on 5th April.)

5th - (Colombo
was attacked from Japanese carriers on 5th April.)

8th - Returned to Addu Atoll after failing to
intercept returning Japanese force.

9th - Deployed with screen Force A and took passage to
Bombay

12th - Detached from screen with HMAS NIZAM during
deployment in Arabian Sea to deter Japanese attacks on shipping
between Aden and ports in India.

13th - Under routine docking at Bombay and for
installation of additional 20mm Oerlikon guns
to improve close range AA defence.

May

On completion
took passage to rejoin Eastern Fleet for convoy defence in Indian Ocean (Note: CinC Eastern Fleet decided
that Bombay was too vulnerable to future attacks
and that Fleet should be based in East Africa instead.)

Nominated
for transfer to Mediterranean for support of planned Malta relief operation

13th - Sailed
from Alexandria with Mediterranean Fleet and deployed with HM DestroyersHASTY, HERO, INCONSTANT, JAVELIN, JERVIS, KELVIN,
NESTOR, NIZAM, NORMAN,PAKENHAM, PALADIN, SIKH and ZULU as
screen for HM Cruisers ARETHUSA,BIRMINGHAM CLEOPATRA, DIDO, EURYALUS,
HERMIONE and NEWCASTLE toprovide escort for Malta Convoy MW11
during passage in eastern Mediterranean.(Operation
VIGOROUS).This operation was
co-incident with a similar relief convoy from Gibraltarwhich
came under heavy submarine and surface warship attacks althoughtwo mercantiles arrived in Malta (Operation HARPOON).HM Battleship CENTURION, disarmed before outbreak of
WW2 was alsodeployed with MW11 and disguised to
resemble a KGV Class battleship.Twelve other destroyers were also
deployed as close escorts for MW11for
period, prior to arrival of Mediterranean Fleet units. (For
details see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre,ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett, HITLER'S
U-BOATWAR by C Blair and the Naval Staff
History.)

14th - Joined
MW11 with Fleet units. Under heavy and sustained air attacks.Submarine attack by U77 driven off by HMS PACKENHAM.Convoy under threat of attack by Italian fleet units.

15th - Convoy
ordered by CinC ashore in Alexandria to reverse course.Under
night attack by German E-Boats during which HMS HASTY was torpedoedand had to be sunk by HMS HOTSPUR.HMS NEWCASTLE was also hit by a torpedo and withdrawn
from escort to returnto Alexandria.Air attacks resumed after daylight but convoy ordered
to resume westwardpassage although this was later
rescinded.During the air attacks HMS ARETHUSA,
HMS BIRMINGHAM and HMS CENTURIONwere all damaged. HMS AIREDALE and
HMS NESTOR had to be sunk.Owing to the heavy expenditure of AA
ammunition by escorts which would haveleft
insufficient stocks to ensure safe passage to Malta the operation wasabandoned.

16th - Returned
to Alexandria with Fleet units.

On release from detached service at
Alexandria took passage to resume EasternFleet
duties in Indian Ocean.

July

Deployed for
convoy defence in Indian Ocean.

Nominated for duty with Eastern
Fleet units for deception operation.Detached
from convoy escort and took passage to join ships of Eastern Fleet duringtheir passage to Colombo from Kilindini.

10th - Deployed
with Dutch cruiser HEEMSKERCK, Dutch destroyers VAN GALEN,TJERK HIDDES (both sister ships) to land Commando unit
at Morondava onwest coast of Madagascar (Operation
TAMPER).(Note: This attack on a radio
station and airfield was a diversion for the mainlandings
at Majunga (Operation STREAM)

.)

14th - Took
part of landings at Tamatave on east coast of Madagascar with ships ofForce M (Operation JANE).

Resumed convoy
defence duties on release from ROSE based at Killindini.

November

Convoy defence
in Indian Ocean in continuation.

28th - Sustained
damage after grounding at Kilindini.

December

8th - Taken in
hand for repair and refit at Durban.(Note:
7th Destroyer Flotilla the also included HM Destroyers NEPAL, NIZAM,NORMAN, Dutch destroyers VAN GALEN and TJERK HIDDES.)

1 9 4 3

January to February

Under refit

March

On completion
of post refit trials resumed convoy defence duties.

29th - Joined
military Convoy WS27 with HM Cruiser FROBISHER, HM DestroyersCATTERICK, FOXHOUND and ROTHERHAM at Durban as escort
during passagein Indian Ocean to Aden.

April

1st - Detached
from WS27 with destroyers for escort during passage.

18th - Joined
military Convoy WS28 at Durban with HM Destroyer RAIDER as part ofescort during initial part of passage to Aden.(Note: HM Cruiser KENYA, HM Destroyers REDOUBT and
RELENTLESS alreadythe escort from Cape remained with
convoy on departure from Durban.)

20th - Detached
from WS28 with destroyers during passage in Indian Ocean.

May

Passage to
Simonstown for support of anti-submarine operations(Note
A significant increase in U-Boat activity had required reinforcement ofescorts for convoy defence and A/S patrols in area
around Cape of GoodHope. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THEATLANTIC (HMSO).)

June to September

Resumed convoy
defence duties based at Durban(Note: Use of Fleet destroyers for
trade defence including convoy escort andpatrol
for interception of commerce raiders and blockade runners madetheir deployment for screening of Eastern Fleet major
units anunacceptable option. Both German and
Italian submarines were carryingout attacks on shipping and several
blockade runners were attemptingpassage to and from the Far East.
Ship was retained at Kilindini forthese
duties.)

October to December

Deployed for convoy escort between
Aden and Bombay.(Note: Significant military
reinforcements and additional supplied were beingsent
to SEAC in this period and required effective defence.)

1
9 4 4

January

Convoy escort
in continuationNominated for Fleet screening
duties.

February

Convoy duties
when not deployed to take part in preparatory exercises inanticipation of planned Fleet operations.

17th - Deployed
with screen for Forces 65 and 66 during air operations.On
completion took passage to Ceylon with combined Forces.

18th - US Navy
ships on loan service detached for return passage to Pacific.

27th - Arrived
in Ceylon with Eastern Fleet units.

June to July

Deployed for convoy defence in Indian
Ocean.(Note: Operation CRIMSON an attack
on Sabang by Eastern Fleet took place in July, but ship is notrecorded with screens for major ships of the Eastern
Fleet. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEETby J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO) for details.The build-up of the 14th Army and
other requirements for the invasion of Burma and Malayainvolved
an increase in convoys in the Indian Ocean where the shortage of escorts was
critical.)

8th - Rescued
survivors from ss MARION MOLLER adrift in two lifeboats off east coast of
India.

(Note: This merchant ship of 3,827grt
had been torpedoed and sunk on 5th November

.

)

22nd - British
Pacific Fleet formed in Colombo from units of Eastern Fleet and new arrivals
from(Note: The RAN destroyers were
allocated to the British Pacific Fleet was formed but were retainedin the Eastern Fleet for support of planned
operations.

)

December

Nominated for
service in Force 64 for support of military operations in Burma.

6th - Passage
to Chittagong for support of military operations on Arakan coast with HMAS
NEPAL.

13th - Deployed
with HM Australian Destroyer NEPAL and HM Harbour Defence Motor Launches 1275and 1303 as a Bombardment Group based at Chittagong.

24th - Bombardment duties in support of
military operations in Mayu peninsula
completed .(Operation ROMULUS)(Note: A total of 13 Bombardments was carried out by
the Group. See Naval Staff History.)7th
Destroyer Flotilla also included HM Destroyers NEPAL, NIZAM and NORMAN (all
RAN).

1 9 4 5

January

Force 64
deployment in continuation. for support of landings at Akyab (Operation
LIGHTNING)

Took
passage with landing craft as Convoy C to landing position without gunfire
support needed.

8th - Nominated
for support of assault landing at Myebon by 3rd Commando Brigade (Operation
PUNGENT)

12th - Deployed
with HM Indian Sloops NARBADA and JUMNA with landing craft for support duties.(Note: Senior officer for Support was embarked.HM Cruiser PHOEBE provided aircraft control for air
strikes.)

During air attacks one OSCAR
aircraft was shot down by ship.

21st - Took
part in bombardment of Ramree Island prior to landings (Operation MATADOR -
Note: Joint Force Commander had been embarked and
ship was nominated as standby HQ ship
for use if needed. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton andWAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) ).Other
ships in Force were HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM Cruiser PHOEBE, HMDestroyer RAPID, HM Sloops FLAMINGO and KISTNA (RIN).)

1st - Took
passage from Sydney to join Fleet Train at Manus.On
arrival deployed for escort of Fleet Train during passage to Leyte for support
ofTask Force 57.(Note: British warships allocated for service with US
5th Fleet were designated TaskForce 57 and had begun operations in
Sakishima Gunto Group on 17th March.(Operation
ICEBERG I)

18th - Deployed
as part of escort for Refuelling Group in Area MOSQUITO ONE duringreplenishment of TF57 ships.

19th - Detached
from TG113 with HM Destroyers NORMAN and NEPAL for escort of ships ofTF57. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET.

21st - Passage
to Leyte as escort with TF57.

23rd - Resumed
TF113 service on arrival at Leyte.

May

1st - Sailed
with Fleet Train for support of British ships in Task Force 57 during renewedjoint attacks with US Navy Task Group on Sakishama
Gunto islands.(Operation ICEBERG II).(For details of make-up of Fleet Train see THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton.)

28th - Fleet Train escort duties resumed for support of operations off Japanese
mainlandduring joint attacks operations by British and
American Task Groups.(Note: British ships had been transferred
to US 3rd Fleet and redesignated TF37).

July

Passage to
operational area with call at Manus, the forward base for BPF.

26th - Deployed
with HMAS NIZAM, HMAS NEPAL, HM Ships PHEASANT, CRANE, REDPOLE,PARRET, PLY, HM Australia Corvettes WHYALLA, PIRIE and
LAUNCESTON as escortfor tankers and supply ships of
Fleet Train during operations off Japan.Transferred
to Task Force 37 for escort of major units.(Note:
Ship is not recorded as part of Fleet Train escort during replenishment of
BPF.)

15th - Deployed
as escort for TF38.5 ships during final air strikes on air fields in Tokyoplain.(Note: Operations ceased on
instructions from Admiral Nimitz after the strikeswhich
were launched at 0400)

17th - Joined
US 3rd Fleet ships with TF38.5 escort.

30th - Passage
to Tokyo Bay with HM Destroyer QUALITY, HMAS NIZAM and HospitalShip TJITJALENGKA as escort for HMS KING GEORGE V.

12th - Transferred
to British Token Force in US Navy Task Force 38 and designated Task Group38.5)(Note: The other BPF ships deployed
off Japan retained in Task Group 38.5 wereHM
Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carrier INDEFATIGABLE,HM New Zealand Cruiser GAMBIA, HM Cruiser
NEWFOUNDLAND,HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TERMAGANT,
TENACIOUS, TEAZER,BARFLEUR, HM Australian Destroyer
NIZAM.For details of the background to the
decision to withdraw other ships from the areadue
to lack of fuel from tankers of the British Fleet Train see above references.)

September

2nd - Present
at formal surrender of Japan signed on board US battleship USSMISSOURI in Tokyo Bay.Deployed
for support of repatriation of PoW and allied nationals.

P o s t W a r N o t e s

HMAS NAPIER returned to Australia on release from duties in Japan and
was deployed as part of the Royal Australian Navy until being Paid-off on 24th October 1945. She
was replaced in the RAN by HM Destroyer QUALITY and was recommissioned as HMS NAPIER the next day.
The ship took passage to UK from Fremantle, manned by personnel from HMS QUALITY on 5th November
and Paid–off at Devonport on 12th December 1945.
She was de-stored and reduced to Reserve status there on 7th March 1946.
The ship laid-up at Portsmouth in August 1950 and in May 1952 returned to the
Reserve Fleet at Devonport. Towed to Penarth in January 1953 she remained there until placed on the
Disposal List in 1955. and sold to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward. She arrived
at the Breakers Yard in Briton Ferry on 17th January 1956 to be broken-up.